Archive for April, 2009

Well, this may be the earliest that I have ever turned by air conditioner on since I moved to VA Beach over ten years ago. Although humidity levels aren’t excessive as they normally are from June through September, they were uncomfortable enough Saturday evening for me to reluctantly turn on the A/C . The early season heat wave is being caused by a Bermuda High-like feature that is just pumping up the heat from the southwest. The ridge will slowly erode as we head through the week but it will take time. By late week, we should be somewhat cooler but we may still be above seasonal norms. The chance for showers should increase as we head towards Thursday, but right now, I don’t see a definitive “trigger” for precipitation here in Hampton Roads. It all depends on a slowly moving frontal system from the west.

After a fairly cool early spring, mother nature is going to bring us a preview of summer without the high humidity. A Bermuda High pressure area is now anchored in place and will be the dominant factor in our weather through Tuesday, at least. The clockwise flow around this high will produce a S-SW flow which will be a very warm flow of air. Since the ocean and bay are still fairly chilly, if you are downwind from the water, you will experience temperatures somewhat cooler than inland zones. Ninety degrees is within reach each of the next three days in most inland spots. Boaters should have good conditions with a S-SW wind of about 10 to 15 knots. Looking ahead, a frontal system should drop temperatures by Wednesday and some showers are likely on Thursday.

Was Saturday a great day weatherwise or what? It was a great day for most outdoor activities, except maybe swimming. Sunday will also be nice but a backdoor cold front will be flirting with us later in the day. Warm temperatures and low humidity levels are common in April but we all know what is coming in just a few short months. Yes, heat and humidity. Once the water temperatures come up a bit and the Bermuda High begins to influence our weather, temperatures and humidity levels will rise…. Back to the present… The backdoor cold front will not be a forceful one and it may not make much progress into and through the area on Sunday. Clouds will be on the increase but will mostly be of the high cirrus variety initially. As the low pressure system and its associated fronts push slowly in from the west, showers should overspread the region later Sunday night or early on Monday. The SPC has our region in a “slight risk” for severe weather on Monday so please stay alert and monitor your local media source for severe weather updates. By Tuesday, the wet weather should be exitiing the region although a trough will still have to clear the area. The middle of the week looks pleasant with cool air moving back into the region. Temperatures should warm up later in the week.

Saturday could probably be considered one of the top ten days of the entire year. High temperatures approaching 80, abundant sunshine, light winds, and low humidity will make it hard to beat. On Sunday, a backdoor cold front will be moving through the Hampton Roads area. This will result in a wide temperature range across the Mid-Atlantic region. If you’re north of the front, the air flow will be from the NE or E making it quite cool. South of the front, winds will be from a southerly component which will make it much warmer. The exact positioning of the front is very hard to forecast, but forecasters believe that Sunday will be cooler for most of Hampton Roads. Clouds will also be on the increase as the low pressure area moves closer from the Mid-West. Showers will most likely hold off until Sunday night. Monday should also be on the wet side but I don’t think that forecasters are saying that it will be an all day rain. As the NWS states in their morning update, it’s a little early to assess the severe weather potential for Monday. I’ll have an update on that in my Sunday morning update. So, enjoy the beautiful weather on Saturday.

Friday morning is dawning a very chilly one with frost quite widespread across the area. By this afternoon, temperatures will be in the sixties. It will truly be a very nice day. Saturday will be another nice day with temperatures several degrees higher than Friday’s maximum temperatures. Sunday’s temperature forecast appears to be quite challenging as a backdoor cold front will be moving through the area. Exactly where that front ends up will determine how much cool air can infiltrate the region. It appears to be one of those situations when our southern counties have temperatures about 10 degrees warmer than our northern counties. Then, a frontal system will be approaching from the west bringing us a chance of rain/showers Sunday night and Monday. Speaking of rain, you might think that we are doing quite well in the rainfall department. The truth is that we are well over 3 inches below normal for 2009. The frontal system that moved through earlier in the week brought about an inch of rain to my neighborhood. I’ll have an update on Saturday morning.